Meb Keflezighi Becomes 1st American Man to Win Boston Marathon since 1983

World Today

American Meb Keflezighi won the Boston Marathon on Monday, a year after a bombing at the finish line left three dead and more than 260 people injured.

Kenya’s Rita Jeptoo won the women’s race in a course-record 2 hours, 18 minutes, 57 seconds, defending a championship from last year. She had been hoping this year for a title she could enjoy.

Keflezighi is a former New York City Marathon champion and Olympic medalist. He ran from Hopkinton to the finish on Boylston Street in Boston’s Back Bay in 2 hours, 8 minutes, 37 seconds.

He held off Wilson Chebet of Kenya, who finished 11 seconds behind.

Keflezighi looked over his shoulder several times over the final mile (1,600 meters). After realizing he wouldn’t be caught, he raised his sunglasses, began pumping his right fist and made the sign of the cross.

He’s the first U.S. winner since Lisa Larsen-Weidenbach took the women’s title in 1985; the last American man to win was Greg Meyer in 1983.

Jeptoo clocked 2 hours, 18 minutes, 57 seconds.

She becomes the seventh three-time Boston Marathon champion.

Jeptoo broke away from a group of five runners at the 23-mile (37-kilometer) mark. Buzunesh Deba of Ethiopia finished second with an unofficial time of 2:19:59.

Boston Marathon Winners

Men

2014 — Meb Keflizighi, United States, 2:08:37

2013 — Lelisa Desisa, Ethiopia, 2:10:23

2012 — Wesley Korir, Kenya, 2:12:40

2011 — Geoffrey Mutai, Kenya, 2:03:02

2010 — Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot, Kenya, 2:05:52

2009 — Deriba Merga, Ethiopia, 2:08:42

2008 — Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot, Kenya, 2:07:46

2007 — Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot, Kenya, 2:14:13

2006 — Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot, Kenya, 2:07:14

2005 — Hailu Negussie, Ethiopia, 2:11:45

2004 — Timothy Cherigat, Kenya, 2:10:37

2003 — Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot, Kenya, 2:10:11

2002 — Rodgers Rop, Kenya, 2:09:02

2001 — Lee Bong-ju, South Korea, 2:09:43

2000 — Elijah Lagat, Kenya, 2:09:47

1999 — Joseph Chebet, Kenya, 2:09:52

1998 — Moses Tanui, Kenya, 2:07:34

1997 — Lameck Aguta, Kenya, 2:10:34

1996 — Moses Tanui, Kenya, 2:09:16

1995 — Cosmas Ndeti, Kenya, 2:09:22

1994 — Cosmas Ndeti, Kenya, 2:07:15

1993 — Cosmas Ndeti, Kenya, 2:09:33

1992 — Ibrahim Hussein, Kenya, 2:08:14

1991 — Ibrahim Hussein, Kenya, 2:11:06

1990 — Gelindo Bordin, Italy, 2:08:19

1989 — Abebe Mekonnen, Ethiopia, 2:09:06

1988 — Ibrahim Hussein, Kenya, 2:08:43

1987 — Toshihiko Seko, Japan, 2:11:50

1986 — Rob de Castella, Australia, 2:07:51

1985 — Geoff Smith, Britain, 2:14:05

1984 — Geoff Smith, Britain, 2:10:34

1983 — Greg Meyer, United States, 2:09

1982 — Alberto Salazar, United States, 2:08:51

1981 — Toshihiko Seko, Japan, 2:09:26

1980 — Bill Rodgers, United States, 2:12:11

1979 — Bill Rodgers, United States, 2:09:27

1978 — Bill Rodgers, United States, 2:10:13

1977 — Jerome Drayton, Canada, 2:14:46

1976 — Jack Fultz, United States, 2:20:19

1975 — Bill Rodgers, United States, 2:09:55

1974 — Neal Cusack, Ireland, 2:13:39

1973 — Jon Anderson, United States, 2:16:03

1972 — Olavi Suomelainen, Finland, 2:15:30

1971 — Alvaro Mejia, Colombia, 2:18:45

1970 — Ron Hill, England, 2:10:30

1969 — Yoshiaki Unetani, Japan, 2:13:49

1968 — Ambrose Burfoot, United States, 2:22:17

1967 — Dave McKenzie, New Zealand, 2:15:45

1966 — Kenji Kimihara, Japan, 2:17:11

1965 — Morio Shigematsu, Japan, 2:16:33

1964 — Aurele Vandendriessche, Belgium, 2:19:59

1963 — Aurele Vandendriessche, Belgium, 2:18:58

1962 — Eino Oksanen, Finland, 2:23:48

1961 — Eino Oksanen, Finland, 2:23:29

1960 — Paavo Kotila, Finland, 2:20:54

1959 — Eino Oksanen, Finland, 2:22:42

1958 — Franjo Mihalic, Yugoslavia, 2:25:54

1957 — John J Kelley, United States, 2:20:05

1956 — Aniti Viskari, Finland, 2:14:14

1955 — Hideo Hemamura, Japan, 2:18:22

1954 — Veikko Karanen, Finland, 2:20:39

1953 — Keizo Yamada, Japan, 2:18:51

1952 — Doroteo Flores, Guatamela, 2:31:53

1951 — Shigeki Tanaka, Japan, 2:27:45

1950 — Ham Kee-yong, Korea, 2:32:39

1949 — Karl Leandersson, Sweden, 2:31:508

1948 — Gerard Cote, Canada, 2:31:02

1947 — Suh Yun-bok, South Korea, 2:25:39

1946 — Stylianos Kyriakides, Greece, 2:29:27

1945 — John A Kelley, United States, 2:30:40.2

1944 — Gerard Cote, Canada, 2:31:50.4

1943 — Gerard Cote, Canada, 2:28:25.8

1942 — Joe Smith, United States, 2:26:51.2

1941 — Leslie Pawson, United States, 2:30:38

1940 — Gerard Cote, Canada, 2:28:28.6

1939 — Tarzan Brown, United States, 2:28:51.8

1938 — Leslie Pawson, United States, 2:35:34.8

1937 — Walter Young, Canada, 2:33:20

1936 — Tarzan Brown, United States, 2:33:40.8

1935 — John A Kelley, United States, 2:32:07.4

1934 — Dave Komonen, Canada, 2:32:53.8

1933 — Leslie Pawson, United States, 2:31:01.6

1932 — Paul DeBruyn, United States, 2:33:36.4

1931 — James Hennigan, United States, 2:46:45.8

1930 — Clarence DeMar, United States, 2:34:48.2

1929 — John Miles, Canada, 2:33:08.6

1928 — Clarence DeMar, United States, 2:37:07.8

1927 — Clarence DeMar, United States, 2:40:22.2

1926 — John Miles, Canada, 2:25:40.4

1925 — Charles Mellor, United States, 2:32:00.6

1924 — Clarence DeMar, United States, 2:29:40.2

1923 — Clarence DeMar, United States, 2:23:47.4

1922 — Clarence DeMar, United States, 2:18:10

1921 — Frank Zuna, United States, 2:18:57.6

1920 — Peter Trivoulides, United States, 2:29:31

1919 — Carl Linder, United States, 2:29:13.4

1918 — Not held

1917 — William Kennedy, United States, 2:28:37.2

1916 — Arthur Roth, United States, 2:27:16.4

1915 — Edward Fabre, Canada, 2:31:41.2

1914 — James Duffy, Canada, 2:25:01.2

1913 — Fritz Carlton, United States, 2:25:14.8

1912 — Michael Ryan, United States, 2:21:18.2

1911 — Clarence DeMar, United States, 2:21:39.6

1910 — Fred L Cameron, Canada, 2:26:52.4

1909 — Henri Renaud, United States, 2:53:36.8

1908 — Thomas Morrisey, United States, 2:25:43.2

1907 — Thomas Longboat, Canada, 2:24:24

1906 — Timothy Ford, United States, 2:45:45

1905 — Fred Lorz, United States, 2:38:25.4

1904 — Michael Spring, United States, 2:39:04.4

1903 — JC Lorden, United States, 2:41:29.8

1902 — Samuel Mellor, United States, 2:43

1901 — JJ Caffrey, Canada, 2:29:23.6

1900 — JJ Caffrey, Canada, 2:39:44.4

1899 — LJ Brignoti, United States, 2:54:38

1898 — RJ McDonald, Canada, 2:42

1897 — JJ McDermott, United States, 2:55:10

Women

2014 — Rita Jeptoo, Kenya, 2:18:57

2013 — Rita Jeptoo, Kenya, 2:26:25

2012 — Sharon Cherop, Kenya, 2:31:50

2011 — Caroline Kilel, Kenya, 2:22:36

2010 — Teyba Erkesso, Ethiopia, 2:26:11

2009 — Salina Kosgei, Kenya, 2:32:16

2008 — Dire Tune, Ethiopia, 2:25:25

2007 — Lidiya Grigoryeva, Russia, 2:29:18

2006 — Rita Jeptoo, Kenya, 2:23:38

2005 — Catherine Ndereba, Kenya, 2:25:13

2004 — Catherine Ndereba, Kenya, 2:24:27

2003 — Svetlana Zakharova, Russia, 2:25:20

2002 — Margaret Okayo, Kenya, 2:20:43

2001 — Catherine Ndereba, Kenya, 2:23:53

2000 — Catherine Ndereba, Kenya, 2:26:11

1999 — Fatuma Roba, Ethiopia, 2:23:25

1998 — Fatuma Roba, Ethiopia, 2:23:21

1997 — Fatuma Roba, Ethiopia, 2:26:24

1996 — Uta Pippig, Germany, 2:27:12

1995 — Uta Pippig, Germany, 2:25:11

1994 — Uta Pippig, Germany, 2:21:45

1993 — Olga Markova, Russia, 2:25:27

1992 — Olga Markova, Russia, 2:23:43

1991 — Wanda Panfil, Poland, 2:24:18

1990 — Rosa Mota, Portugal, 2:25:24

1989 — Ingrid Kristiansen, Norway, 2:24:33

1988 — Rosa Mota, Portugal, 2:24:30

1987 — Rosa Mota, Portugal, 2:25:21

1986 — Ingrid Kristiansen, Norway, 2:24:55

1985 — Lisa Weidenbach, United States, 2:34:06

1984 — Lorraine Moller, New Zealand, 2:2928

1983 — Joan Benoit, United States, 2:22:42

1982 — Charlotte Teske, West Germany, 2:29:33

1981 — Allison Roe, New Zealand, 2:26:46

1980 — Jacqueline Gareau, Canada, 2:34:28

1979 — Joan Benoit, United States, 2:35:15

1978 — Gayle Barron, United States, 2:44:52

1977 — Miki Gorman, Japan, 2:48:33

1976 — Kim Merritt, United States, 2:47:10

1975 — Liane Winter, West Germany, 2:42:24

1974 — Miki Gorman, Japan, 2:47:11

1973 — Jacqueline Hansen, United States, 3:05:59

1972 — Nina Kuscik, United States, 3:08:58

 

Report compiled with information from The Associated Press.